'Here,' she said handing him a Metallic silver pistol, 'We are not yet done.'
'Selli,' she shouted, 'take us up!'
'Selli?' Rodriquez called out stunned. This was the last name he expected at such a moment.
'Yeah it's me bro.' the pilot replied loudly trying to stay audible above the noisy chopper rattling.
'I can't believe this!' exclaimed Rodriquez staring wide eyed at Ramona and then at the pilot.
The chopper swung left rising above the roof top. Rodriquez could see two bodies lying flat on the flat roof facing skywards and three men racing back towards the narrow door, César at the front.
'Take those two!' he yelled in Ramona's ear, pistol firmly in both his hands, 'the one at the front is mine.'
Three explosions sounded. All three shapes slumped to the ground, dead.
Rodriquez turned to face Ramona; he could see she was smiling. She turned and gazed into his eyes.
'Nice shot.' she said.
'Thank you.'
Chapter Twenty One
8:03am, Today Morning in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘I can’t believe you made breakfast.’ Ramona’s soft voice greeted Rodriquez as he walked into the bedroom carrying a plastic tray, on it, two steamy coffee cups. His body still ached everywhere but he was glad he was alive and best of all, Ramona was alive too.
‘You may have just found yourself a wife.’ he teased smiling. She smiled back before disappearing under the spread out white bed sheet. The piercing aroma of coffee filled the room.
‘Here.’ he said sitting heavily next to her. Her head popped out of the beddings revealing a wide smile. Her lean face glowed in the morning sun’s rays which glazed through the drawn window curtains.
‘Thank you.’ she answered in reply pulling her lean frame upward to sit at the edge of the bed before stretching to take the hot coffee cup.
He felt elated because she was with him, in his bed. He still felt rather uncomfortable by her presence.
A few hours earlier, in the dark, they had crossed into Brazilian airspace having narrowly survived the ordeal in Colombia. Rodriquez wanted to get far away as possible from that Country. He felt triumphant inside. In his mind he had blasted a hole into the Recluse organization’s operations. He had foiled the murder of the president of Colombia, and had his Ramona with him, he felt victorious. He had closed his eyes; a sense of relief overwhelming his tired wind pelted bruised body as soon as Selli had announced they had just entered into Brazilian airspace, which meant they were safe. He had found himself holding onto Ramona’s lean frame so tightly. He had missed her so much, feared he was never going to see her ever again. He had dreaded that hollow feeling so much, he’d hardly had enough sleep since the day he received the phone call from her abductors. He felt a twinge of guilt that he hadn’t been able to rescue her, rather, incredibly, she had come to his rescue, yet again, for a third time. He had felt tears swell in his eyes, Ramona’s cheeks too, he’d noticed were watery.
He turned facing her, cup in his right arm.
‘Who told you I was being held hostage in Colombia?’ Her honey-blond hair spread across both shoulders.
‘I got a phone call from a man,’ he answered in reply lifting his arm to his lips, the coffee tasted savory, its smell heavenly.
‘Rodriquez, there are many things you still don’t know.’ She said staring at him quizzical.
‘Yes I know.’ He replied, his face furrowed, ‘but I intend to find out.’
She slowly lowered her coffee cup.
‘I meant about me.’ She corrected.
‘I’m not sure I understand.’ He quizzed staring into her hazel eyes intently.
‘I was never captured.’ She said staring back at him. Rodriquez’ face transformed.
‘Impossible!’ He exclaimed, he hadn’t expected such a dramatic revelation.
‘Rodrigo, it’s true I delivered the SAM’s to the FARC but that was over a year ago and I left soon after.’
‘What exactly are you talking about?’ He asked a puzzled expression flashing across his face.
‘I was only thrown back in on a specific assignment.’ She said.
‘I knew the Organization had set me up,’ interrupted Rodriquez.
‘I don’t understand.’ Ramona interjected sipping on her cup.
‘After the attack in the night club,’ Rodriquez continued, ‘I had Alejandra’s appearance altered, sent her on a specific rendezvous to take photos of the Parque Central Simon Bolívar.'
‘You sent an amateur to take pictures?’ Ramona asked her eyes wide, a bemused expression plastered on her lean face.
‘I trailed her, and saw her speak with César.’
‘So she wasn’t an amateur after all.’ Ramona said her tone sarcastic.
‘What was that specific assignment you were referring to just before I interrupted?’ Rodriquez asked.
Sighing heavily, Ramona resumed.
‘Sixteen days ago, I was reactivated with specific orders to eliminate a target deemed a risk to our funders.’ Her hazel eyes narrowed revealing a deep dangerous look. ‘The subject was male, in Colombia and had just killed not one but two of our own inside a hotel room.’
‘Hotel Casa Galeria?' Rodriquez asked his eyes widened.
‘Yes.’
‘That was me!’
‘I know but I didn’t know at the time.’
‘These people,’ Rodriquez quizzed further. 'Already knew who I was. So, when did you get to know it was me?’
‘At the Plaza de Bolívar.’ She replied.
‘It was you who killed the fat Embassy attaché?’
She remained silent.
‘Where else did you try to kill me then?’
‘From that hotel window.’
‘So it was you in the window?’ Rodriquez asked stunned.
‘Yes’ Ramona replied.
‘Why then didn’t you shoot me? Why did you miss?’ He asked. Rodriquez now understood why the bullet had glazed above his head, she had missed intentionally.
‘I knew you were trying to save the president’s life the moment you shot Alejandra instead.’
‘You saw that?’
‘Yes I did’ Ramona answered in reply, ‘she was one of us by the way.'
‘One of what?’
‘Yes, part of Recluse’ Ramona answered.
Rodriquez’s eyes narrowed further, his heart beating faster.
‘I thought she was just a mere conduit for the FARC rebels, César.’
‘No,’ Ramona answered in reply. ‘She was one of us, daughter to Simeon Galore.’
‘Who is Simeon Galore?’ Rodriquez’ hand pressing hard onto his now empty coffee cup.
Ramona staring long into Rodriquez’ eyes, took a deep breath. He could see she looked worried. She sighed heavily.
‘Dearest sweetest Rodriquez, Simeon Galore is the man who founded the Recluse enterprise.’
###
I wish to take this opportunity to thank you once again for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, please do encourage your family and friends to read it too. You might also spare some time to leave me a review at your favorite retailer.
I thank you in advance
Very warm and Kind regards,
Walibba .J. Philip
About me:
I love to read and write about many things. It's my passion. I love to paint too, abstract art, it’s my other love. I love to listen, to what others have to say. It puts life into perspective. I love life; it's the greatest gift of all. What about you, what do you say about yourself? Let me know.
Other titles I have written include;
Recluse: The Induction
Michigan fall
Boundless
I am currently working on;
Recluse: The Retribution
The Kings Men
Equilibrium
Elizabeth Lake
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ba@pwalibba
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Recluse:The Ramona Question Page 8